Researchers at the North Carolina State University studied the effect of deodorant and antiperspirants on the microbe populations in the armpit. They found some changes in the armpit or people who use this product and those who don't and they are not sure if the changes are good or bad.
The research suggests that deodorant kills bacteria that ingest sweat and release the molecules responsible for underarm odor, while antiperspirants reduce the amount users sweat, preventing bacteria from having the reaction in the first place, reports UPI.
Julie Horvath, head of the Genomics And Microbiology Research Laboratory at the NC Museum Of Natural Sciences at North Carolina State University, wanted to study the microbes in the skin and so she swabbed armpit and belly button and incubated the inoculated plates to find a shocking result. She was alarmed to find the plates blank as she was expecting microbes to grow on the plate.
This made the scientists think that the possible reasons for the result can be deodorant and antiperspirant and Hovarth along with her peers decided to delve into the fact.
She led a research to find out the effects of deodorant and antiperspirants on the armpit. The study was conducted in three groups with deodorant users, antiperspirant users, and control (those who do not use any of those).
They swabbed armpits of the subjects twice a day and then changed the product use of each participant. On days 2 to 6, the participants were asked to avoid any product and on days 7 and 8 they were asked to use an antiperspirant.
The researchers found that the microbes increased drastically as they stopped using the products and on day 6 the results were similar to that of people who do not use any products. The results of day 7 showed no microbes when participants of all the groups were put on antiperspirant.
They also found that antiperspirants were much effective in killing microbes as compared to deodorant.
Researchers of this study hope to gain better understanding of the effects of altering microbe population on the human body.
